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Past ExhibitsYou Me We: Our Generation --- Our Lives, Our Stories: America’s Greatest Generation Native Words, Native Warriors: Stories of American Indian Code Talkers --- Partners: The Two Mecklenburgs Singgalot (The Ties That Bind): Filipinos in America, from Colonial Subjects to Citizens Survive: Jamestown --- Becoming American: Teenagers and Immigration A Shared Melody: Selections from Classic Chinese Culture- Calligraphy, Ceramics, and Beijing Opera The Carolina Mountains: Photography of Margaret Morley --- An Invitation to the White House --- ToyTime Personal Legacies: Surviving the Great Depression --- American Visions of Liberty & Freedom --- A Focus on SPORTS Faces & Stories: Southern Writers --- Kites to Kitty Hawk --- Vecinos/Neighbors Stitched from the Soul: The Farmer-James Collecion of African-American Quilts --- Main Streets of Our State Powerful Persuaders: World War II Posters --- Soaring Symbols: Eagles in World Culture --- The Faces of Our State Highways & Byways of Our State --- Soldiers’ Stories: War in the First Person
November 19, 2011 to January 7, 2012 You Me We: Our Generation was a museum exhibit created over three days by students from Garinger High School in collaboration with acclaimed Native American artists Jaque Fragua and Yatika Fields. The students explored the Our Lives, Our Stories: America’s Greatest Generation exhibit to examine how global events and issues influenced the personal and group identity of the World War II generation. Fragua and Fields worked with the students to create artwork that expressed personal identity, the individual pieces were then combined into a larger installation representing their own generation.
November 12, 2011 to January 7, 2012 Our Lives, Our Stories: America’s Greatest Generation explored the life arc of the World War II generation—as told in their own words. Born in the 1910s and 1920s, these people were decisively shaped by the Depression and World War II. They went on to make the “baby boom” and shape the economic boom of the postwar era. Today – well into the 21st century – we are all living with their legacy. But who are these people upon whom the title of “greatest” has been bestowed? This exhibition was made possible through NEH on the Road, a special initiative of the National Endowment for the Humanities. It was brought to you by Mid-America Arts Alliance. Our Lives, Our Stories: America's Greatest Generation was organized by the Minnesota History Center/Minnesota Historical Society, St. Paul, MN.
October 22, 2011 to January 1, 2012 When the United States issued the call to arms in World Wars I and II, American Indians answered as warriors. Some men discovered that words—in their Native languages—would be their most valued weapons. These unsung American heroes shared their stories of strength and courage in the Smithsonian traveling exhibition. Native Words, Native Warriors, developed by the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian and the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES), told the remarkable story of soldiers from more than a dozen tribes who used their Native languages while in service in the U.S. military. Through oral histories taken from the veterans themselves, Native Words celebrated and honored this important but little-reported aspect of American history. In addition to 15 large-scale banners, the exhibition included videos examining the development of the code, battlefield experiences, and the sharp turnaround many of them experienced as they transitioned from Indian boarding schools where they were punished for speaking their Native language to using it as their call to duty for their country. This inspiring exhibition was made possible thanks to the generous support of donor Elizabeth Hunter Solomon. Additional support has been provided by the Smithsonian Women’s Committee and the AMB Foundation.
May 14, 2011 to December 31, 2011 The Charlotte-Mecklenburg area shares a unique bond with Mecklenburg, Germany. Not only connected by name and the woman known as Charlotte, Princess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz and Queen of Great Britain; we share a 1994 partnership agreement with our sister-city. Commemorating the 250th anniversary of the coronation of our namesake Charlotte, it's time to meet the other Mecklenburg. In this unique and fascinating photography exhibit, you'll learn more about our German counterpart - its landscapes, seaside resorts, modern architecture, thatched rood farmhouses, castles, cathedrals, and the people who live, work, and celebrate there. As the photographers and artists show, much has been invested to preserve and maintain the sprawling natural beauty, quaint villages, architectural influences and cultural arts, while also renovating the vibrant city across the sea that shares our name.
August 13, 2011 to October 16, 2011 Today there are more than 2.5 million Filipino Americans in the United States. Yet many, including Filipinos themselves, aren't familiar with the details of their history in America: their experiences, rich traditions, and culture. Singgalot is their story. After tracing the first trans-oceanic trade missions between Manila and Acapulco in the 1500s, Singgalot explored the tenuous political relationship between the United States and the Philippines, when Spain ceded the Pacific-island following the Spanish-American War. Rarely seen historical images detailed Filipino migration between 1906 and 1935 as Hawai’i sugar plantations, West Coast farms, and Alaskan canneries recruited Asians to join the labor force.
July 9, 2011 to October 2, 2011 Survive: Jamestown was an immersing educational experience set in 1607 Virginia that puts visitors into the shoes of the original Jamestown colonists. The realistic role-play adventure presented one great challenge: to survive for one year. Sound easy? Think again…only 38 of the original 104 colonists were able to survive one year. Melding historical accuracy, free will, and the complexities of real life and death decisions, Survive: Jamestown delivered a truly unique and effective learning experience.
April 23 to July 17, 2011
Calligraphy, Ceramics, and Beijing Opera October 17, 2010 to January 9, 2011 From the chaotic beginnings of civilization, art and writing have led the way into greater knowledge and communication. The Chinese were among the first recorded humans to use a civilized writing system. They were also among the first to develop a comprehensive artistic style combining images, text, and plot. The Chinese integrated calligraphy and painting into their writing, music, drama, and film. Works of art are the essence of Chinese history and national culture. The three categories selected for this exhibition represented the most splendid accomplishments of this ancient national heritage. Chinese calligraphy uses brush, ink, paper, poems, songs, and plays as the vehicles for transmitting cultural values. The art of ceramics in Jingdezhen has combined the unique raw materials of the area with traditional firing techniques to produce superbly crafted works of art. Beijing Opera’s characters - Sheng, Dan, Jing, and Chou - express the joys and sorrows of the human condition. They are the Chinese people’s favorite form of entertainment and are equally fascinating to audiences around the world. The program was presented in partnership with the Confucius Institute at Pfeiffer University. The Confucius Institute is dedicated to promoting understanding of Chinese language and culture through education and partnerships. Exhibit Images - Confucius Institute Website
The Carolina Mountains: Photography of Margaret Morley June 27, 2009 to December 30, 2009 Margaret Morley spent twelve years in the early 1900s exploring western North Carolina and recording scenes of everyday life in captivating photographs and delightful prose. Her resulting book, The Carolina Mountains, is still considered one of the best books about the region. Transformed into a traveling exhibit, Morley’s words and images provided an intimate look at a way of life that has vanished in the high country. The exhibit featured more than fifty prints made from photographs in this collection, and also included additions from the museum’s own collection.
An Invitation to the White House October 25, 2008 to March 4, 2009 Displayed in conjunction with the 2008 Presidential Election, this exhibit looked at state dining at the White House with reproduction presidential china and actual dinner invitations and menus. Also included were a collection of inaugural invitations and memorabilia spanning eight decades. A traveling exhibit from the White House Historical Association explored the construction of the West Wing and working in the West Wing. Related Event - Related Programming - Rack Card White House Historical Association Website
September 7, 2007 to July 27, 2008
ToyTime was an interactive exhibit of giant-size folk toys in which visitors could “play” with large-scale handcrafted wood versions of the most popular kinetic folk toys throughout history. Sixteen interactive toy stations explored the history, mechanics, and fun of the Whimmy Diddle, Jacob’s Ladder, Twirling Acrobat, Tightrope Walker, Pecking Chickens, Lunging Lumberjacks, and other tumbling, flipping and climbing toys. ToyTime came from SciWorks Science Center and was the brainchild of Tom Wilson, director of exhibits there. A special display of historic toys from the museum’s collection were also presented in conjunction with the exhibit. Press Release - Rack Card - SciWorks Website
September 30, 2006 to August 12, 2007 Personal Legacies: Surviving the Great Depression shared personal accounts and universal lessons about how Charlotteans not only survived but also thrived during the Depression. This exhibit used interviews by local author and reminiscence-writing facilitator Robin Edgar. Local photographer Jennifer Crickenberger created photographic montages of the storytellers to accompany their stories. The exhibit panel montages were included in a book by the same title published by CPCC Press. Serving as an exhibition catalog, the book was made possible, in part, through a Regional Artist Project grant Edgar received. In conjunction with the exhibit, WTVI produced a documentary about the Great Depression in Charlotte that included several of the participants featured in the exhibit. Through January 2007, Shadows Cast, works by local artist Marilyn Charlat Dix, were featured at the entrance of the exhibit. Press Release - Rack Card - Flyer - In the News
American Visions of Liberty & Freedom February 4, 2006 to May 28, 2006 The exhibition was organized by the Virginia Historical Society, funded by the National Endowment for the Arts, and based on the book Liberty and Freedom by David Hackett Fischer. It showed how generations of Americans, from Revolutionary times to the present, have drawn, carved, and quilted symbols to represent their sometimes-conflicting definitions of liberty and freedom. American Visions of Liberty & Freedom depicted the stories behind the symbols. By looking at these symbols and icons, such as the Statue of Liberty, Uncle Sam, and the American Flag, we are able to see that these have been both unifying themes and sources of tension in American History. The exhibit included about 200 historic artifacts from lenders across the U.S. Press Release - Related Programming - Flyer - Exhibit Website
January 14, 2006 to August 15, 2006 This exhibition of 38 photos, from the photo library of the Charlotte Observer, revealed the Charlotte region’s love of both amateur and professional sports, as participants and fans. The museum partnered with The Charlotte Observer, and award winning and N.C. Sports Hall of Fame member Charlotte Observer Sports columnist Ron Green, Sr. was the guest curator. N.C. Sports Hall of Fame Website
Faces & Stories: Southern Writers October 1, 2005 to January 5, 2006 Faces & Stories: A Portrait of Southern Writers was a photography exhibit featuring portraits by internationally acclaimed photographer Curt Richter, who was initially commissioned by Louis D. Rubin, Jr. to photograph the founding members of the Fellowship of Southern Writers. Over a seven-year period, he photographed over two hundred writers associated with the South. Sixty of these portraits were presented in this traveling exhibit, from the Southern Arts Federation.
April 30, 2005 to September 2005 This traveling exhibit from the Drachen Foundation chronicled kite innovations and their inventors as they pursued the goal of piloted flight. From early pioneers in Europe and the United States, the exhibit celebrated the final achievement of the Wright Brothers first flight at Kitty Hawk. The exhibit included seven historical kite reproductions. The museum augmented the exhibit with video, interactives, and contemporary kites.
January 15, 2005 to August 21, 2005 This bilingual photographic exhibition showcased 20 members of Charlotte’s Latino community with images by local Latina photographer, Catalina Kulczar.
Stitched from the Soul: The Farmer-James Collection of African-American Quilts October 1, 2004 to March 26, 2005 Most of the sixty quilts in this collection were made in North Carolina dating from the time of the Civil War until just after World War II, and collected by Dr. Everette A. James, Jr. and his wife, Dr. Nancy Jane Farmer. The quilts demonstrated how traditional African art has influenced quilting styles, and offered historical evidence and clues to African-American life during Reconstruction and New South Periods. The collection included quilts that record stories and examples of modern art. The traveling exhibit was developed by NC Wesleyan College’s Mims Gallery, with funding from the NC Humanities Council and the Mary Duke Biddle Foundation. At the museum, the exhibit was enhanced with interpretive content and artifacts from the collection.
June 26, 2004 to January 2, 2005 Organized by the museum in collaboration with Our State: North Carolina Magazine, the exhibition’s photographs showed the diverse streetscapes reflecting the nature of North Carolina’s varying city and town centers. The exhibit introduced visitors to Main Street programs from the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Towns featured in the exhibit included Asheville, Madison, Kernersville, Oxford, Landis, Charlotte, Matthews, Greensboro, Chimney Rock, Glencoe Mills, Stokesdale, Walnut Cove, Wilmington, New Bern, Winston-Salem, Warrenton, Vandemere, and Valle Crusis. Main Street Program Website - Our State Magazine Website
Powerful Persuaders: World War II Posters January 10, 2004 to September 1, 2004 Powerful Persuaders, an exhibit of World War II posters from the museum’s collection, was presented in conjunction with the Soldiers’ Stories: War in the First Person exhibit. Propaganda posters waged an on-going campaign for the hearts and minds of the American people just as surely as military weapons engaged the enemy. Wartime posters were created as a visual call to arms. According to the designers, posters should be to the eye, what a shouted command is to the ear.
Soaring Symbols: Eagles in World Culture October 4, 2003 to April 4, 2004 The Charlotte Museum of History and Carolina Raptor Center, Inc. collaborated to create this traveling exhibit. The purpose of the project was to “support environmental science through the use of visual arts and history.” Models and sketches showing the creation of a bronze eagle sculpture, by local artist Lori Norwood, to be mounted at the entrance to the Carolina Raptor Center was part of the display. The exhibit also included text panels detailing the spiritual and cultural relationships between humankind and the raptors, of which the eagle is a most impressive representative. Carolina Raptor Center Website
June 21, 2003 to June 2004 Forty portraits of North Carolinians who have helped define the character of North Carolina were featured in this photographic exhibit. Developed in conjunction with Our State: North Carolina magazine, this exhibit drew on the regularly contributing photographers to the magazine.
August 15, 2002 to June 2003 Twenty scenic photographs of North Carolina sites and scenes were featured in this exhibit. All were archival images from Our State: North Carolina magazine and were viewed from the state’s highways and byways.
Solders’ Stories: War in the First Person September 28, 2002 to September 1, 2004 The exhibit examined, from a regional perspective, U.S. military conflict from the 18th -21st centuries through personal correspondence. These wartime stories revealed much about human nature, both on the warfront and on the home front. Extensive scholarly research yielded an extraordinary collection of war letters from this region, and individuals, museums and military organizations supplemented the museum’s own artifact collection by loaning objects and materials relating to war experiences. In addition to correspondence, grouped by theme into eight distinct vignettes, the exhibit included photographs, personal artifacts and memorabilia, uniforms, military regalia, music, newspaper and magazine accounts, political cartoons, wartime literature, newsreel footage, and film from America’s major wars.
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The
Charlotte Museum of History
3500 Shamrock Drive, Charlotte, NC 28215
Phone: 704.568.1774
Site By:
EyeBenders